Pita Russell SharplesCBE (born Peter Russell Sharples,[1] 20 July 1941) is a Māori academic and politician, who was a co-leader of the Māori Party from 2004 to 2013, and a minister outside Cabinet in the National Party-led government from 2008 to 2014. He was the member of Parliament for the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate in Auckland since the 2005 election. On 1 July 2013 he said he would step down from his co-leader role in the Maori Party and that he would retire from politics altogether at the end of the parliamentary term in 2014.

He received his early education at Waipukurau District High School, but then became a boarder at Te Aute College. His four years there culminated in him becoming head boy, and he credits this time as a turning point of his life.[4](subscription required) He then attended the University of Auckland, studying education. After graduating, he remained at the University as an instructor, working at the Faculty of Education. He subsequently gained an MA (1st class) in Anthropology, and later a PhD in Anthropology and Linguistics – both also from the University of Auckland.[5]